dogs2fandomcom-20200213-history
Herding dog
A herding dog, also known as a stock dog or working dog, is a type of pastoral dog that either has been trained in herding or belongs to breeds developed for herding. Their ability to be trained to act on the sound of a whistle or word of command is renowned throughout the world. All herding behavior is modified predatory behavior. Through selective breeding, man has been able to minimize the dog's natural inclination to treat cattle and sheep as prey while simultaneously maintaining the dog's hunting skills, thereby creating an effective herding dog. Dogs can work other animals in a variety of ways. Some breeds, such as the Australian Cattle Dog, typically nip at the heels of animals (for this reason they are called heelers) and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi were historically used in a similar fashion in the cattle droves that moved cattle from Wales to the Smithfield Market in London but are rarely used for herding today. Other breeds, notably the Border Collie, get in front of the animals and use what is called strong eye to stare down the animals; they are known as headers. The head ers or fetching dogs keep livestock in a group. They consistently go to the front or head of the animals to turn or stop the animal's movement. The heelers or driving dogs keep pushing the animals forward. Typically, they stay behind the herd. The Australian Kelpie and Australian Koolie use both these methods and also run along the backs of sheep so are said to head, heel, and back. Other types such as the Australian Shepherd, English Shepherd and Welsh Sheepdog are moderate to loose eyed, working more independently. The New Zealand Huntaway uses its loud, deep bark to muster mobs of sheep. Herding instincts and trainability can be measured when introducing a dog to livestock or at noncompetitive herding tests. Individuals exhibiting basic herding instincts can be trained to compete in herding trials. Commands These commands may be indicated by a hand movement, whistle or voice. Ther e are many other commands that are also used when working stock and in general use away from stock. Herding dog commands are generally taught using livestock as the modus operandi. Urban owners without access to livestock are able to teach basic commands through herding games. These are not the only commands used: there are many variations. When whistles are used, each dog usually has a different set of commands to avoid confusion when more than one dog is being worked at one time. *'Come-bye' or just bye - go to the left of the stock, or clockwise around them. *'Away to me', or just away or 'way - go to the right of the stock, or counterclockwise around them. *'Stand' - stop, although when said gently may also mean just to slow down. *'Wait', (lie) down or sit - stop. *'Steady' or take time - slow down. *'Cast' - gather the stock into a group. Good working dogs will cast over a large area. *'Find' - search for stock. A good dog will hold the stock until the shepherd arrives. Some will bark when the stock have been located. *'Hold' - keep stock where they are. *'Bark' or speak up - bark at stock. Useful when more force is needed, and usually essential for working cattle and sheep. *'Look back' - return for a missed animal. *'In there' - go through a gap. *'Walk up', walk on or just walk - move in closer to the stock. *'That'll do' - stop working and return to handler.